Unitary insurance manual and application book



Dec. 23, 1941.

M.. STOCKTON UNITARY INSURANCE MANUAL AND APPLICATION BooK Filed March 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENIoR @y Siae/Hom WIM ATToR EY Marz BY $1 5,5/ 55 5 5 55.655 5/ /5 /5 55 /5 5"/ /5 5 5 5 5/ 5 5 5 5/5 55 5 5 55 5 55 5 5 5 5 5, L 5 /f i 5 55 5 5 5 5 5 5. 5 5 5 5/ im. z ,5 S ,5 5, 5/ ,5 5 5 i 5 5 5 5 5 5 .my

Dec. 23, 1941.l M. sTocKToN UNITARY INSURANCE MANUAL AND APPLICATION BOOK Filed March 4, 1939 2 lSheets-Sheet 2 azul ATTO NEY Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITARY INSURANCE MANUAL AND APPLI- CATION BOOK Manley Stockton, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Hartford Fire Insurance Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 4, 1939, Serial No. 259,761

(Cl. 28B- 63) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a combined manual and application book for the use of insurance agents or insurance brokers in the solicitation of insurance and the reporting thereon to the company. It is described herein with particular reference to insurance against the perils insured against by fire, marine and casualty insurance y companies, but it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other forms of insurance.

At the present time, it is customary, in the Writing of insurance, for the agent or broker toA be supplied with a large number of application blanks or forms, there being ordinarily a special application blank for each of many different subject matters of insurance. A partial list of such blanks includes aircraft damage, annual shippers, annual transit, automobile, bridges, camera, contractors equipment, customers goods, etc. The agent must not only keep in his files a sufficient supply of each 4of such application blanks but must actually carry a number of them with him, when soliciting business out of his oice, and to replenish his stock as the blanks are used. y As a result of the burden of carrying a large number of different varieties of forms, it is usual for the agent to carry only those which he contemplates he may need. Consequently he sometimes finds himself embarrassed by not having available the proper blank.

One of the objects of the present invention is to avoid this difficulty by providing a simple arrangement of blanks and instructions for their use whereby the agent may be assured lof having available, at all times, a copious supply of blanks suitable for substantially all types and varieties of risks.

Another object is to provide an arrangement which will facilitate the collection and recording of information required for the preparation of policies for a large variety of risks.

Another object is to combine in a single unit both the information necessary to explain and sell the policy, the information necessary to prepare the application, and the blanks or forms upon which to record the latter information and to order the policy from the insurance company.

Another object is to provide an application for insurance so designed that the information contained therein is usable only in connection with a questionnaire forming a code by which such information is rendered intelligible.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In accordance with my invention I preferably employ a book of the loose leaf type in which is included a supply of blanks or forms, a manual of information and instructions to the agent or broker for the solicitation of the insuranceand a questionnaire for use in the preparation of the application, with regard to a large number of different subject matters of insurance. The forms or blanks are common to all of such subject matters and are so arranged relative to the manual and question sheets that the questions to be answered or instructions to be followed, appearing on one sheet, and the spaces in whichV the answers to such questions or instructions are to be recorded, provid-ed on another sheet, are

both exposed in a single open position of thev book.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bookand contents showing the relative arrangement of the instruction sheets and applicationforms;

'Figa 2 is a plan view of the front sidejof a manual and question sheet showing the arrangement of the questions thereon; I

Fig. 3 is a plan` view of the reverse side of the manual and question sheet, showing the arrange-y hard and stiff covers II, I2, and suitable loose leaf securing means, such assnap rings I3. The

loose leaves of the book comprise an index sheet or sheets I 4, a group of manual and question sheets I5. and a group of application blanks or forms I6. The manualand question'sheets I5 are individual to each type of risk, each sheet containing only questions, instructions or information relating to or required in the preparing of the application for risk referred to in the heading of the sheet. Thus any manual and question sheet may be removed or replaced or additional sheets inserted without interfering with the arrangement or use of the remaining sheets. The sheets I5 are perforated along one side, at I1, for reception of the rings I3.

The application sheets I6 are common to all instruction sheets, each being perforated at I9 along one edge only so that when the application sheets are assembled in the book to the rear of the manual and question sheets, a substantial portion of the application sheets extend outwardly beyond the instruction sheets. The perforations I9 in the sheets I6 may be slotted as at 20, to facilitate removal of the sheets without resource to the rings I3, if desired. The outwardly extending portions of sheets I6 are provided with a number of double rulings bearing 5 consecutive numbers, upon which may be recorded information relative to the particular policy for which application' is being made. The uneX-' posed portions 'of sheets'fIG make available space' upon which any desired remarks ancillary to said 10 questions or instructions or with reference to the risk, may be recorded.

The manual and question sheets, as stated; are: individual to each type of risk and each bears a group of questions, the answerstowhicli'areese 1'5" sential to the preparation of'the'fpolicy.' Each't of these questions is also provided with a number so disposed that the number offeach,y question.. will appear in the same vertical positionon the sheet as the corresponding numbers of theapp'li; 20 cation-blanks.

The :opposite side. off each Y ofthe-.manual andi4 question xsheets i I fbea-rs information. concerning the. natureandfextentA-of thespolicy;v the rates,- premiums; etc., and, therefore, serves as a man 25 ual forI theagent; andthus-eliminates thezneces sity,w for the agent using. a separate manual.

, Inuse, Jthelagent.merely-opens the book .tothemanual Iand, .questionsheet covering the. particu-'- lar. type.i of .policyf inwhich .the subscriber.y is .iin-k 30 terested. By referencesto.therear ofy the sheet I 5.,hecan,.ascer.tain. and give the subscribery the. required. information Aconcerning the*` policy, such A ascoverageates, premiums, etc. When .the ap p1ication.-for.. insurance is to be prepared, the: 35 agent swings the sheet I5 back to the right hand; side ontheloookso asto havefbeforevhimcinyiew, both.tle..questions..to,.beanswered. and' therspace: on the application sheets I6 on which to.enter.. theanswers to suchquestions. He then ymerely 40 enters the answers. to such questionson the 4rulingsv ofsheet I lbearingethe numbers correspondingQto the numb'ers.-of\the questions.vvv Since.cor responding numbers ,appear opposite eachother, on the question sheet'and-applicationorms the.. 45 answers on the application,formsV Willappean opposite their corresponding questions; Aftersheet,

I 6 has been filled Aout,.itl may, be. submittedfto the ofiice of theinsurancecompany forA approval and'for preparationof the policy. Attliat.oif1ee, 50 the, desiredV information forpreparingthepolicy is .obtained only by. reference to afquestion sheet. corresponding' to the. one used bythe agent.. This renders. it" impossible for the` informationJ contained'in the application to be intelligible toI 55 others than the authorized recipient, of'theapplication, who. is provided with a coded `question sheet'," and precludes' theagent or broker from. orderingjliepolicy, by` means of such.applica tion sheets, from another insurance company than the one supplying the coded questionnaires.

It will be noted that each question is not limited to a single code number or designation. Where additional space is required for an answer, several consecutive numbers may be allotted to a single question, as in the case of the Schedule of insurance shoWn in.' tlie fillustration'. Also, as'shown in'theexample"in Fig. 2. under numbers 11 to 14, several answers may be required on a single line or pair of lines.

fchangesfarefmade from time to time by the insurance company in reference to any type of policy, it is necessary only to have the agent substitute inhisb'ook' af! new manual and question slieetz'for-'the superceded one but necessitates no change in'the' application blank. This eliminates;thewnecessitiv of destroying large supplies of printed forms, as heretofore required, and also reduces the possibility of an agent or broker usi-ngsa'superceded form, as' noW- oftensoccurs:

The; book,v because 1 ot. its; stiff cover; may bev conveniently used directly upon the agents .lap` and because-ofthe.completenature thereoffwithA reference,to-substantiallyV all `forms of riskwrit ten-,by` the. companyissuing-` the-same,- it-may serve as substantially` his. completev oice 4lein regardto manyofthe writingsof that company.

Obviously, changes may be made in-the.ar,- rangement of the parts and the manner o.f.corre.` lating the. questions-and answers,v Without departing. from thevinvention.

What Lclaim -is-:

In a combined'insurancev manual and`confl`- dential `applic-:ationiermbook. forA the display, ofA applications for. insurance, .the combinatiomof.' a. pluralityoffapplication sheets. disposedlone above,- the other inV contiguous'.relationr a plurality, off instruction sheets. of smaller transverse .dimenf sions than said-Lapplication .sheets and overlying;

thesame so as-to leave a substantial portion of' said ,application sheets exposed,feach .of saidfinformation sheets bearing, a different! series.' of` items .in the form' yof questions orinstructions. code designations on each of'said instruction sheets associatedwith each item.th`er`eon",..said'` applicationsleets having' on the exposedportion thereof ai series of..corresp'onding code des; ignations and' transversevrulin'gs forth'e reception of information relative tothe`correspon'd'i ingly designated items;',wherebyany of saidinstruction sheets' may be individually" associated ink exposed position with'` the exposed; portion of" said application: sheets and* a' loose-leaf f' binder' securingY said sheets and by means? of which` tle^ application sheets'- may `be individually removed from said book;

MANLEY STOCKTON 

